Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman heard his name swirling in NFL head coaching rumors over the offseason, but they didn’t sway him from South Bend, Ind.
“I’m all-in. I’ve been all-in,” Freeman told reporters on Tuesday. “I don’t see myself being the head coach or coaching anywhere else. I plan on being here as long as I can.
“If I do a good enough job and I’m able and wanted to be the head coach here, I want to stay the head coach here,” he continued.
Marcus Freeman speaks onstage during the “First Take” live panel at Fanatics Fest NYC 2026 at Jacob Javits Center on July 17, 2026 in New York City. Getty Images for Fanatics
Freeman was promoted to head coach of the Fighting Irish in 2021 after just one season spent as their defensive coordinator.
Notre Dame has gone 43-12 under Freeman’s direction and reached the national championship game in 2024.
Last season, the Fighting Irish went 10-2 in the regular season but did not make the cut for the College Football Playoff, leading them to sit out any bowl games in what seemed to be a protest.
Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish reacts against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half at Notre Dame Stadium on September 23, 2023 in South Bend, Indiana. Getty Images
Heading into Freeman’s fifth season at the helm, there are arguments for Notre Dame to open the season as the AP No. 1 team in the nation.
Notre Dame’s 2026 recruiting class was the highest-rated since Charlie Weis was leading the program (2005-09). The school is preparing to open a brand-new training facility and has reworked Freeman’s contract to pay him up to approximately $12 million.
If Freeman sustains success, he will have to keep addressing NFL coaching rumors, but it seems he wants to keep calling Notre Dame home for years to come.
